Helping Haitian Angels Cap Haitien, Haiti Mission Travel Packet whoever is kind to the needy honors God ~Proverbs 14:31 Debbie Harvey Melissa Allen Founder and Executive Director Secretary Debbie@hhangels.org Melissa@hhangels.org 703-298-3183 703-298-2399 Updated 8/5/17
Table of Contents General Information... 1 Physical Conditions & Medications... 1 Required Paperwork... 2 Mission Trip Covenant... 2 Two colored copies of your U.S passport... 2 Payments and Fundraising... 2 Hotel and Flight Information... 4 A Day in the Life Helping Haitian Angels... 7 Do s & Don ts in Haiti... 8 i
General Information A seven day trip in support of Helping Haitian Angels (HHA), Kay Anj Village and the community of Cap Haitien, Haiti is $1600 if you live in the DC area (includes flights). If you live outside of the DC area the cost is $950 and you will need to book your own flight. Please book your flight on American Airlines from your area, directly to Cap Haitien (CAP). If you are out of the DC ou will meet the DC group on your layover in Miami and continue on to Cap Haitien. A deposit of $650 is required to reserve a spot on the team if you live in the DC area. If you are out of the DC area, a copy of your flight reservation will serve as your deposit. The remaining balance of $950 must be paid 30 days in advance of our departure. Anyone travelling with HHA to Haiti must travel on the same dates as the group. We can not allow volunteers to arrive later in the week or leave the group trip earlier. The trip includes: air travel to and from DCA to Cap Haitien (CAP), 7 night stay at the HHA Volunteer Village at Kay Anj, meals in Haiti (2 buffet style Haitian meals) per day, a small lunch every day, clean water to drink, transportation in Haiti, travel insurance, interpreters, gratuity, entrance fee and offsite excursions. HHA volunteer mission travelers are covered through IMG HHA group travel insurance. Review HHA coverage at (www.imglobal.com) to ensure you are adequately covered for your personal needs. Additional insurance is available at your discretion. All travelers should visit their personal physician and/or travel clinic/local government health department 6~8 weeks before departure to acquire the proper immunizations and prescriptions to visit the Haitian countryside. If you have an Immunization Card bring it with you. Physical Conditions & Medications If you are elderly or are prone to health problems we strongly recommend a thorough physical examination before traveling to Haiti. Also, medical identification (tags, bracelet, card, etc.) must be carried by anyone with chronic illness such as diabetes or heart conditions. Trips to Haiti are usually moderately stressful and sometimes greatly so. Persons with mental illness or physical disabilities are required to disclose such information to our HHA travel team before being approved to travel. If you have special needs while in Haiti (such as a medical condition, food allergies, specific diet restrictions, or other special requirements) please let us know before your trip, and we will accommodate you as best as possible. Be sure to bring whatever you need with you in your carry-on luggage. All volunteers are strongly encouraged (required!) to read When Helping Hurts By Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert Available via Kindle and in paperback formats 1
Required Paperwork Once you have committed to the HHA mission, Melissa Allen (Melissa@hhangels.org) will send you the documents listed below via email. Please review, electronically sign and email these documents back to Lisa. Be sure to keep a copy for yourself. Please contact Lisa with any questions. Mission Trip Covenant o This form asks all travelers to adhere to HHA's rules and regulations as a representative of HHA. Please sign and return. Travel Information Form o This form is used to obtain all travel information needed to complete travel requirements. HHA registers all team members with the U.S State Department prior to travel. Please complete and return. Mission Volunteer Waiver and Release Agreement o This form notifies individuals of potential risks associated with our mission. Please sign and return. Two colored copies of your U.S passport o Please provide 1 color copy of your passport for HHA to make travel arrangements on your behalf and register with the U.S. State Department. Please keep the second copy with you while travelling in Haiti. Payments and Fundraising Trip payments may be made with a credit card via the HHA websites Mission Trip page, (www.helpinghatianangels.org) or personal check sent to HHA P.O. Box 692, Haymarket, VA 20169 If you are raising your funds through support letters, Facebook, Gofundme.com, you will need to keep track of your donations/funds. HHA can no longer accept credit card payments from each individual donor. You will need to collect a check made out to HHA and mail them in all together to our PO Box. Prescriptions and Immunizations All Travelers must be up-to-date with Measles Mumps-Rubella and Varicella (most U.S citizens receive these immunizations as a child). Be sure you are up to date with your Tetanus-Diphtheria required every ten years. U.S. Travelers are advised to visit their general practitioner for prescriptions needed to visit the Haitian countryside. Immunizations may be available from your local county health services 2
department (most affordable option). Immunizations are also available at your local pharmacist and local travel clinics. The approximate costs of prescriptions and immunizations are denoted by an * and are based on a 2013 visit by a team member to their personal physician, personal insurance plan and a visit to Fairfax County Health Department. (see costs noted *) Note: Your 7-day Typhoid prescription (4 pills) should be taken ASAP. Typhoid cannot be taken with the anti-malaria drug Chloroquine which you must begin taking one week before departure. Prince William Department of Health, 703-792-6300 http://princewilliamcounty.org/resources/department-of-health.html Fairfax County Health Department, 703-246-2435 http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/hd/hdcontact.htm Centers for Disease Control (CDC) http://www.cdc.gov/ Medical Information and Preparation Prescriptions The following immunizations are recommended when visiting the Haitian countryside. Chloroquine (pill) Chloroquine Phos ~500mg~ 6 tablets is an anti-malaria drug. Take your first pill one week before the day we leave; a second pill the day we arrive in Haiti and then once a week for the next four weeks (after our return). Your local pharmacy may need to order Chloroquine. Some insurance companies will only cover 30 days. If this is the case ask you pharmacy representative to provide you with the insurance covered 30 days (4 pills), and charge you for the additional 2 pills (2 weeks). CIPRO (pill) CIPRO is a precautionary medication used for intestinal upset to be taken at the onset of stomach upset and/or diarrhea 3
Immunizations The following immunizations are recommended when visiting the Haitian countryside. Hepatitis A (series of 2 shots) Hepatitis A is given as a series of 2 shots. Hepatitis B (series of 3 shots) Hepatitis B is given as a series of 3 shots given over a period of 6 months. The first two shots are given four weeks apart, and the 3 rd shot is given 4 months later. The first shot provides approximately 30% coverage, the 2 nd shot 80% and the third shot will provide 100% effectiveness. Typhoid (series of 4 oral pills) Typhoid is a vaccine in a capsule given over 7days. The vaccine is good for 5 years. Health Departments will provide a prescription. This may be available as a shot; shots are based on the needs of the person and the vaccine is only good for 3 years. (www.crucell.us.com) Hotel and Flight Information Specific flight information will be provided 2 weeks prior to departure. Please be flexible and plan for 7-8 days of travel time. You will each be given a 50 lb. bag to check. All volunteers are limited to carry-on back pack for personal packing. If necessary refer to the TSA carry-on guidelines. Departure Day The group will meet at the Dominion Valley Giant parking lot or Park Valley Church (Haymarket) a few hours before our scheduled flight and carpool to the airport. Those who wish to drive on their own, will meet the group at Ronald Reagan International Airport (DCA) at the American Airlines Departure counter. The Ronald Reagan International Airport is available via Blue and Yellow lines. (http://www.wmata.com) Those of you travelling from outside the DC area will meet the group on your layover in Miami. 4
Return Date Fly from Cap Haitien (CAP), Haiti via American Airlines to Washington D.C (DCA) Ronald Reagan International Airport is available via Blue and Yellow line (http://www.wmata.com/); or A group will depart after baggage claim from the Ronald Reagan International airport to Giant Foods store in Dominion Valley, Haymarket. Please register with Melissa. Please have your driver check arrival times prior to leaving for airport pickups. Keeping it Light To accommodate the needs of our mission we are limiting ourselves to a light weight back pack. (No suitcases/or wheeled baggage). A pack must be able to fit in the overhead compartment or under the seat on the airline. The reason for this, it is extremely difficult collecting baggage at the Cap Haitien airport. Passport (keep a copy separate from your passport) Camera/video camera (we will all share our pictures) 3 sets of clothes - tops (wide strap tank tops are acceptable. NO spaghetti straps or racer back tops), shorts/skorts (NO short shorts or running shorts. Length of shorts/skorts must be past your fingertips), socks, underwear, sports bras 2 pair of shoes (one pair should be covered, flip flops for evening at the hotel) Clothes for evening at the Mont Jolie Hotel is more relaxed and a sundress, tank tops and flip flops are acceptable Church clothes: for women - light weight, knee length dress with sleeves to cover your shoulders and no cleavage. For men pants or shorts and a collared shirt. Shampoo/conditioner, body wash/soap, toothpaste, liquid hand sanitizer or sanitizer wipes, toothbrush, deodorant. In adherence to the TSA guidelines for travel, all liquid toiletries containers must not exceed 3 ounces each. (www.tsa.gov) Any prescription medication you need for the week Journal and Bible are suggested Money in U.S Dollars ($150 $1's, $5's, $10's); Credit Card (contact your card services to advise of your travel to Haiti) 5
Sunscreen and bug spray are provided by HHA. 6
A Day in the Life Helping Haitian Angels Day Pack A Smile! Respect Humility Willingness to learn Bottled water Camera, sunglasses Meals A Haitian Breakfast and Dinner will be served buffet style each day at our Volunteer Village. Lunch will be with our HHA group at the project area site (peanut butter/jelly, tuna, etc.) If you have a food allergy or specific diet restrictions please bring this to our attention as soon as possible. We will try to accommodate you the best we can. Daily Schedule 6:30 am Devotional: gather to bless our day and our service 7:00 am Enjoy a Full American Breakfast. We will buy water in the morning for the day 7:30 am Depart for project areas (see proposed schedule for the week) 12:00 pm Lunch at Kay Anj Village 5:30 pm Return to the Volunteer Village for dinner 7:00 pm Roses (no one will be kicked off the island!) 8:00 pm Nightly Prayer Service with our Kay Anj family 7
Project Areas Kay Anj Orphanage Relationship building with our Kay Anj family Interaction, games, sports, art, music Bible study lessons; group talks/love with kids Hike to the Citadel with Kay Anj kids Visit the Kay Anj village and meet the people of the community Decle community visits Health Hope Action Hospital Visit and Tour Spinal Cord injury patients Disabled Children s wing Pray, love and get VERTICAL with the patients Haiti Babi visit Haitibabi.org Do s & Don ts in Haiti Please DO: LOVE our Haitian friends and family. Listen to them. Talk, get vertical with them. Stick to our HHA Agenda and do not wander from the team. Women s tops should be over the shoulder (cap shoulder, shorts at knee length). Men are asked to keep their shirts on during all outdoor games (e.g. basketball, soccer). Take CIPRO when you begin to have stomach upset. 8
Write in your journal daily. Please DO NOT: Give anyone money- VERY IMPORTANT. Drink the water out of your hotel room faucet or shower. Bottled water and water from the hotel kitchen is safe. Eat or drink in front of the kids! Water is OK. Promise anyone anything or even say maybe or ok later; it is as good as yes. Take photos of people in the street/town. (always ask first, a smile goes a long way!) Wander away from the group for any reason; stay with the group. Complain! We are there for our Haitian friends and family and bring hope. Wear tops with spaghetti straps/short shorts or display cleavage. Wear shorts or skorts that are too short *We will have shorts and tshirts if you are wearing clothes that we believe do not follow our guidelines. 9